


Spring

by witches_only_work_on_wednesdays



Series: Four Seasons [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Emotional Constipation, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Jealousy, Rain, Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:21:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28273788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/witches_only_work_on_wednesdays/pseuds/witches_only_work_on_wednesdays
Summary: Zoro needs a ride back from Mihawk's and Tashigi is the only one available.
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro/Tashigi
Series: Four Seasons [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2071320
Comments: 3
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter One: Zoro

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More smut practice, instead of working on more chapters for A Year in the City.

Zoro is far too pleased with himself. Sitting in Mihawk’s dark mustang he flips the newly acquired sword back and forth in his hands. Light green sheath with two light blue leather wraps in the middle of the sheath and up by the hilt. The hilt itself is gold with round scalloped edges and there is a pink grip on the handle.

It isn’t a sword that Zoro would wield or notice normally. Hell, when the jackass who he’d liberated it from first brandished it, Zoro hadn’t even realized it was a meito. The ass had wrapped it strips of leather, probably thinking the pastel color scheme was too feminine. Only when the challenger drew it from the sheath did Zoro get hit with an overwhelming sensation of familiarity.

Even in the hands of the drunk obnoxious jackass who thought he could challenge the international champion, there was a grace to the sword. In a certain pair of hands, that grace would be covering a rabid ferocity and the sharp blade would be leveled under a pair of intense brown eyes and red frames.

Much like when he found Mōmoku no yuki, Zoro was struck dumb with how much a sword could remind him of Tashigi. So, he decided to take it for her.

“You are the most singularly difficult student I’ve ever had the misfortune to train.” Mihawk grumbles as he slides into his car. Having just finished placating the local authorities that Zoro wasn’t a sword stealing psychopath.

“Isn’t that why you adopted me?” Zoro asks in amusement as he glances up from his appraisal of the newly stolen…ehm, liberated sword.

“Curse my bleeding heart.” Mihawk mutters as he starts the mustang. Zoro snorts at the idea, his adoptive father was as cuddly as a porcupine. Good thing the two technicolor teenagers, now adults, he adopted were about as normal as chickens in top hats. Zoro had the emotional range of a box of rocks and cared only about surpassing Mihawk. Perona enjoyed all things cute and gothic but had a caustic and shrill personality. They were both as personable as Mihawk.

“You like us.” Zoro snickers, running his thumb along the edge of the sheath. Briefly fantasizing that his thumb was running along the ridge of Tashigi’s pale shoulder. He shakes himself, feeling like a pervert even though he sleeps with the woman regularly. Hell, he’s even got a key to her apartment.

“I don’t even know why you took his sword, Roronoa.” Mihawk sighs in exasperation as he pulls out into the late evening drizzle. The competition had taken all day and now they would drive all night to make it back to Mihawk’s house in buttfuck nowhere, where Zoro would find his own way home. “You have three and you’ll never fight with four.”

“It’s not for me.” Zoro scoffs. “It’s for Glasses. She’s started collecting again.”

“Ah, I see.” Mihawk looks slightly exasperated, but his smile is small and slightly dry. “You took someone else’s property for the honorable Miss Tashigi.”

“I ain’t gonna tell her I took it.” Zoro grumbles. “Besides, rules of combat clearly state that if I am challenged and I win, I can take their weapon to prevent further unjust challenges.”

“Those rules are archaic.” Mihawk snorts and glances at Zoro from the side of his eye. “How do you even know about them?”

“Glasses told me.”

“Hmm, when she was trying to take your swords?”

“She used to give me like hour long rants before we fought, justifying herself, like she’d win, or I’d challenged her.” Zoro smiles fondly. Remembering the red flush that climbs her face when she got irate while they fought. She’d drive herself out of breath while fighting just to chew him out.

Now he made her flush for entirely different reasons.

“A deeply passionate woman.” Mihawk murmurs as he tightens his lips in Zoro’s direction.

“Yep.” Zoro grunts, settling back to sleep the ride back to Mihawk’s.

*************************

His friends were dicks.

Zoro snarls as he hangs up on a very apologetic Usopp. No one could pick him up from Mihawk’s ranch in buttfuck nowhere. Franky and Robin were on a date an hour outside the city in the opposite direction. Sanji was helping Zeff at Baratie. Chopper and Luffy didn’t have their licenses. Nami was having a sap day with a visiting Vivi. Jinbe was visiting Fishman Island City. Brooke was on tour, again. Usopp and Kaya were ‘busy’, which was code for spending all day in bed having sex.

Zoro had exhausted every avenue possible. He’s going to make one more call and then drive himself, no matter how many times Perona and Mihawk claim he’s the worst driver they’ve ever seen.

“Tashigi.” The bespectacled woman says, Zoro smiles at her chipper tone; she must be having a good day.

“Glasses,” Zoro says, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, “how free are you right now?” Mihawk comes into his living room with a book and some coffee. Zoro is sure it is not his first cup. The tall man cocks an eyebrow at Zoro as he sit down in his leather armchair.

“Why are you asking, Zoro?” Tashigi questions suspiciously and Zoro smiles, it’s unconscious and a response to her shrewdness.

“I need a ride back to the city, from Hawk Eyes’ house.” Zoro says and he hears the giddy intake of her breath. Zoro is slightly disgruntled by the reverence in that intake; Mihawk wasn’t that great, Zoro’d beat him one day and then Tashigi would take giddy intakes of breath for him…well, in a different way than she already did.

“I don’t know Zoro.” Tashigi sounds like she’s having a hard time resisting his offer. “That’s like a four hour round trip and I have a…thing later.” Zoro frowns. What thing? Tashigi normally gushed excitedly whenever she had something going on, why did she sound so…reserved?

“C’mon, Glasses,” Zoro does not whine, he does not, “I promise it won’t take that long.”

“You know I like my buffer time, Zoro.”

“I can make it worth your while.” Zoro says with a drawling smirk, adding a bit of lust to his voice.

“Oh?” Tashigi hums and Zoro can hear the blush in her voice. He smirks, knowing exactly what she is envisioning. Zoro himself hopes it’s something involving his head between her legs.

“Ew, Glasses, mind out of the gutter.” Zoro teases lightly and he hears her spluttering at the other end of the phone. “I have a sword for you.”

“Oh?” Okay, why did she sound more turned on than when he’d insinuated sex? Crazy sword geek, getting all hot and bothered by swords. Zoro himself was trying not to imagine her naked and wielding the sword he stole…er, liberated for her. Now that was hot.

“Yeah, but you can only get if you come and pick me up.” Zoro says smugly.

“I don’t even have a car, Zoro.” Tashigi most whines and Zoro can almost picture her adorable, puff cheeked pout. Dangerous territory, his brain warns him, romantic territory.

“You have a key to Thousand Sunny, just go into Franky’s garage and borrow the beater he keeps there. It’ll be fine.” They borrowed Franky’s backup car all the time, he wouldn’t be mad.

There is an extended silence over the phone and Zoro can almost see her overactive mind overworking and considering all her possibilities.

“Fine.” She huffs and Zoro grins. “But this better be a great ass sword.”

“Only the best for you, Glasses.” Zoro practically purrs and he knows she’s blushing now, just by the little squeak that comes over the phone.

“See you soon.” Tashigi says, sounding harried and breathless, and hangs up.

Grinning widely, satisfied, Zoro settles back onto Mihawk’s leather couch. He killed two birds with one stone, he gets a ride and Tashigi is significantly riled up. Zoro stretches out on the couch and closes his eye, maybe he could get a quick nap.

“I take it that was the honorable Miss Tashigi?” Mihawk says casually.

Zoro grunts in response. He realizes that Mihawk has never met Tashigi—Smoker probably—and only knows about her from Zoro.

“How long have the two of you been…” His father figure trails off, trying to find the right word for what he might have witnessed.

“We’re sleeping together.” Zoro says bluntly, his neck is hot, why is he talking about sex with his adoptive parent? “I know it’s a strange concept for someone of your age, but that’s it.”

“I am familiar with the concept of casual sex, Roronoa.” Mihawk scoffs. Zoro did not want to hear this. He did not want to know about his Sensei’s sex life. “In my experience, one does not steal swords for their casual sex partner.”

“Well, Glasses and I aren’t you and whoever, the sword is foreplay.” Zoro grumbles, shifting uncomfortably. “It’s just sex.”

“Sure.” Zoro does not appreciate the unconvinced tone in Mihawk’s voice. “Just sex and you smile at her over the phone like you won the international tournament.”

Zoro’s eye snap open. He did not. He had smiled because Tashigi was fun when she was flustered, teasing her was one of Zoro’s preferred pastimes. It was not because he liked her. Well, not like that. He liked Tashigi. Just not in the gooey way, Hawk Eyes was insinuating.

“You don’t know anything.” Zoro mutters, fighting off the heat rising in his neck. Tashigi was fine with their arrangement, so was Zoro. Mihawk is reading into things that weren’t there. “Our arrangement is just sex and we’re perfectly fine with it.”

Mihawk only hums and Zoro can’t for the life of him decide if it is in judgement or acquiescence.

He drifts off, trying to ignore the little seeds Mihawk planted in his mind.


	2. Chapter Two: Tashigi

Tashigi grits her teeth as Franky’s two door beater hits another pothole on the muddy dirt road snaking between rolling fields and pastures. Why did Mihawk have to live in the middle of nowhere? Surely there must be more to this overabundance of cows and fields than she was seeing, right? Was it the solitude? The fresh air? Tashigi couldn’t understand.

She hits another pothole. Nope. Tashigi was a city girl. She’d take a crowded bus any day over this white knuckled insanity.

Tashigi clenches her teeth. Zoro was so not worth this. That sword better be a Great Grade Sword or Tashigi was going to withhold sex for a week.

Tashigi flushes at the thought. She promised herself she wouldn’t think about that. Not today. She was just a friend who was picking up another friend before she went on a…

Tashigi glances down at the flowy skirt of the butter yellow sundress she’s wearing. It was a short-sleeved dress with a scooped neck; Hina had bought it for Tashigi when she’d set her up on the blind date.

Perhaps that was another reason she was wound tight. She was iffy about the whole blind date thing, she loved Hina, the woman raised her, but her taste in men outside of Smoker was poor. Tashigi could count on one hand the number of successful dates Hina had set her up on.

Ugh, when she was this tense the only thing that could get her out of her head was…Zoro. Specifically, Zoro with his mouth on her neck and his fingers buried between her legs. He did this thing where he rubbed the knots out of her shoulders while kissing her throat.

She shivers and shakes her head, trying not to think about what she wants Zoro to do to her. She has a date, weather she wants to go on it or not, she should still respect the unknown man by not having sex with someone else.

Mihawk’s house is up on a hill around the next bend and Tashigi breathes a sigh of relief.

Tashigi parks, badly if she’s being honest, and stumbles out of the car. Great, her sandals are muddy.

“Glasses.” Zoro calls and Tashigi peers over Franky’s blue beater. He and Mihawk are stepping out of the low ranch style house. Tashigi fights off her blush. Zoro is wearing a very tight black shirt and it is highlighting all the muscles in his arms and chest. Perhaps Tashigi’s mind truly belongs in the gutter.

Fending off a blush, Tashigi turns her eyes to the tall black-haired man behind the green haired man. She attempts not to feel giddy and awed. Dracule Mihawk was a legend in the sword fighting community, but Tashigi worshipped him for an entirely different reason. He was a licensed sword notary and authenticator. Tashigi wanted to name swords one day too, just like Mihawk. But it was an exceedingly difficult certification process.

“Mr. Dracule, Mihawk, sir.” Tashigi stutters as she comes around the car. Unsure of what to do, Tashigi bows like she used to at her dojo. She can already feel her face turning red. “I-It’s nice to meet you. I am a fan of your work.” Oh no, she was blabbering. “You authenticated one of my mother’s swords recently and I just want you to know that the name was really fitting and—” shut up. Shut up. Shut up.

“Breathe, Glasses.” Zoro rumbles and Tashigi is suddenly aware of him standing by her elbow. He’s very warm, Tashigi didn’t realize she was cold.

Tashigi takes in a rushed deep breath. Maintaining eye contact with Zoro’s intense gaze. She releases it and takes in a calmer one.

Zoro’s lips quirks upwards at the corner as Tashigi calms down.

Tashigi scowls at him and turns back to a slightly amused Mihawk.

“I apologize for babbling.” She says and feels the heat in her cheeks.

“Perfectly fine.” Mihawk says in a bored tone. Tashigi knows that he and Zoro are not blood related, but damn did that sound like Zoro when he was trying to be nonchalant. “Nice to be appreciated for something other than the Way.”

“I could talk for hours about authentication.” Tashigi gushes and Zoro makes a displeased noise by her side.

“Didn’t you say you had a thing?” Zoro huffs. Right. Tashigi forgot about that. Swords were more interesting than men to her on most days anyway. “Why are you all dressed up anyway?”

Tashigi turns to glare at him. He’s picking at her skirt and Tashigi swears that he looks almost petulant. Although she can see a sort of appreciation in his lone gaze.

“If you must know, Zoro, it is for a date I have tonight.” She swats his hand away from her skirt and pushes her glasses up her nose.

Zoro scowls deeply and straightens. He’d been leaning over her like he tended to do when he teased her. Tashigi doesn’t like that look on his face. Zoro might not be emotive, but he does not scowl like that, like he’s unhappy, his scowls are good-natured…if that made any sense.

“Where’s my sword, Zoro?” Tashigi says abruptly, desiring to change the look on his face. “You promised me a sword if I came to get you.”

“Don’t wanna.” Zoro says and folds his arms across his chest, chin pushed up. Tashigi ignores how it makes the fabric tighten across his chest, she’s far to incensed by his denial.

“What?” Tashigi gapes and plants herself in front of him. “You can’t just call a girl out here and then deny her. That’s just not fair.”

“Too bad. Changed my mind.” Zoro grumps and Tashigi’s jaw drops.

“Why are you being a child?” Tashigi screeches and puts her hands on her hips. She stamps her foot, feeling strands of her dark hair escape from her messy bun; she puffs some out of her eyes. Zoro glances down at her and for one quick moment she sees lust flash through his gaze before it freezes over again.

“I’m not.” Oh, this man. Tashigi is going to end him.

“You—” She begins but is cut off by a light throat clearing.

Tashigi turns to find an amused Mihawk standing behind her. She tries not to be overwhelmed by the presence of her idol.

“Shouldn’t you two be getting on the road?” He asks wryly. Glancing between Tashigi and Zoro.

“Yes. Right.” Tashigi huffs, flustered. She snags Zoro’s duffle bag from his hands and stalks over to Franky’s beater. Giant, insufferable man-child. Tashigi was never going to open her legs for him again, no matter how charming he could get. Gruff kind of charming, that did not push her buttons, nope, nope.

She grits her teeth.

Zoro slides into the passenger seat and Tashigi clenches and unclenches her hands in the wheel.

“Let’s go.” Tashigi hisses, far too pissed to be pleasant.

“Whatever.” Zoro growls, equally snappish.

As if sensing their foul moods, the sky, which had been grey when Tashigi headed out and growing greyer as she drove, opens and begins to downpour.

“Brilliant.” Tashigi snarls and twists the key in the ignition. “Just brilliant.”

***************************************

Tashigi is a terrible driver. She knows this, but she’s better than Zoro, who would have them in the middle of a pasture by now. They were only a half hour from Mihawk’s house and visibility was shit. Tashigi dared not go faster, having felt the tires spin in the mud when she’d tried before.

“For fucks sake, Glasses.” Zoro snarls as Tashigi slows even further at an upcoming pothole. “You can go faster.”

“Do you see this rain, Roronoa?” Tashigi snaps, gesturing wildly with one hand. “You think I can go faster?”

“I thought you had a thing.” Zoro says sullenly. “Or are you not in such a hurry to get to your _date_?”

“Gods, fuck off, Roronoa.” Tashigi shrieks. “I’m trying not to kill us and you’re being butthurt about my evening plans?”

“It’s not my fault that you didn’t bother to tell me about it?” Zoro snaps, pushing himself up from his slouch.

“I don’t see how it is any of your business?” Tashigi snarls, trying to focus on the road and Zoro’s stormy face at the same time.

“Well, you tell me the rest of your business, don’t see why you had to leave this out.” They were yelling now.

“Because you’re—oh shit!” Tashigi screams and snaps the wheel sharply right, narrowly avoiding the cow that had suddenly appeared out of the rain in the middle of the road. She presses down hard on the breaks, feeling the wheels spin wildly as the car tries to stop.

“Fuck.” Zoro swears and his arm reaches out and covers her chest as Franky’s poor beater comes to shuddering halt in the mud on the side of the road.

Breathing heavily Tashigi clutches the steering wheel hard as she tries to get a grip.

Zoro’s calloused thumbs brush her chin, turning her face towards him. Tashigi’s heart clenches at the tight concern across his brows. His fingers are running across her face, Tashigi feels something wet on her cheeks. Blood? No, tears. She’s crying.

Gods, she’s crying front of Zoro. She never wanted this. It was all his fault.

She slaps his hands away and presses on the gas. The tires spin and the beater does not move. Tashigi wrenches the wheel to the left and tries again. Nothing.

“Fuck.” Tashigi screams and slams her forehead against the wheel. Wincing at the pain.

“Shit, Glasses, calm down.”

“I will not calm down.” Tashigi screeches and whips around to glare at him. “We nearly died and it’s all your fault.” She puts the car in park.

“What the fuck? My fault?” Zoro gapes in indignation.

“Yes.” Tashigi hisses and opens the car door and hops out into the rain. “Your fault.”

The rain soaks her instantly and she shivers. She wobbles on her stupid heeled sandals as she stomps through the mud to look at the back wheels. Half buried in the mud.

“It was your shitty driving.” Zoro argues as he comes around the other side of the car. “Plus, you weren’t even playing attention to the road.”

“You were yelling at me.” Tashigi shots back. “It was distracting!”

“I was yelling at you because you were yelling at me!”

“You were being unreasonable!”

“Was not!”

“Was too!”

A crack of thunder across the sky makes Tashigi jump. Zoro smirks at her.

Tashigi scowls.

“Just help me get the car unstuck.”

They couldn’t get the car unstuck. Zoro pushed while Tashigi pressed the gas. They threw it in neutral and they both rocked the poor old beater back and forth. They eventually stopped when Tashigi pushed too hard for the third time, lost her footing and flopped face first into the mud.

Tashigi grumpily drags Shigure from the backseat and stomps back toward Mihawk’s house. She doesn’t care if Zoro is following. The rain seems to intensify.

She can feel Zoro at her back as they trudge through the mud and rain. Tashigi makes sure to stomp ahead of him so she doesn’t have to see his stupid face. A particularly aggressive stomp leaves her wobbling, and she hates how warm and comforting Zoro’s steadying hands on her waist are.

Mihawk is both amused and disgusted when Tashigi and Zoro reappear on his doorstep.

“You know this rain isn’t supposed to let up until tomorrow morning.” Mihawk says conversationally as Tashigi and Zoro drip on his front stoop.

“Just let us in, Hawk Eyes.” Zoro grumbles. “We’ll get the car tomorrow. Just let us shower and sleep for now.” Tashigi refuses to look at him, still salty and a little bit ashamed of crying in front of him.

“Don’t ruin my floors.”


	3. Chapter Three: Zoro

Zoro grumbles and lays back on the sleeping bag, scrubbing his hair with a towel and shifting uncomfortably in borrowed sweatpants from Mihawk. Screw Mihawk for turning his old room into another library. The man had too many books. At least the training room had bamboo floormats, Zoro couldn’t imagine trying to sleep on hardwood.

He listens to the rain thrumming against the roof and thinks of Tashigi.

Shit. Tashigi. Zoro runs a tired hand down his face. He’d taken the first shower because he hadn’t wanted to see her fuming face or listen to her phone call. It made him feel guilty. He’d admit he was partially responsible for the accident. Zoro knows that he shouldn’t have been yelling, not in that weather, not when he knows how heated Tashigi could get when they argued.

Zoro couldn’t help himself, he’d been pissed. But why?

Ah fuck, he didn’t want to think about that.

Maybe Tashigi had been a little bit right when she said he was being childish. But to be fair, she lied to him. Well, not _lied_ , but heavy omission. Zoro rolls over and buries his face in his pillow with a snort. _A thing_ , his ass, she could have said date, Zoro wouldn’t have cared.

Right?

No, his mind whispers, you wouldn’t have been okay with it.

“Shut up.” Zoro growls at nothing and drags his pillow up over his head. He liked Tashigi quite a bit. He liked their arrangement. How when Tashigi was tense and overworked from her little store, she’d call Zoro, only Zoro. He’d come by and unwind all that tension; a talent only he could do. Zoro took no small amount of pride at being one of the few people the uptight, glasses wearing swordswoman relaxed around. But she could still relax around him without the sex, right?

Knowing how awkward and honorable Tashigi was, if she got a boyfriend then she’d tell him all about what she used to do with Zoro. Stupid, random made-up boyfriend would probably try to tell _his_ Tashigi not to see Zoro anymore.

Wait, shit, his Tashigi? Zoro sat up on the sleeping bag. This was bad. Tashigi wasn’t his, they just slept together, and fought together, and talked to each other, and met each other’s families, and—shit.

Zoro rubs his face with one hand and curses himself.

He really is a selfish bastard. They’d said it was only sex. Tashigi is happy with the arrangement. Zoro is happy with the arrangement. Feelings are weird and both Zoro and Tashigi had been told they were terrible at them. Case in point, these stupid feelings right now were making Zoro ruin his friendship with Tashigi.

He just wants to be hers, but not in a gooey way.

Zoro wraps his arms around his pillow, drops his head into the soft fabric, and groans.

He is so fucked.

“Roronoa,” Tashigi’s voice begins behind him, “Perona’s a lovely girl, really, but this nightgown is a crime against fashion and that’s coming from _me_.” Zoro smirks, her shower seems to have made her hate him less, and turns around.

And forgets to breathe.

The nightgown is a crime to fashion. All ruffles and frills in black and violent pink with puffy short sleeves. The thing is…it’s criminally short. Barely hitting mid-thigh and Zoro’s mind more than happy to imagine all the filthy things he can do under that short a hemline.

“That’s a lot of ribbon.” Zoro manages to rasp as he fights off the filthy daydreams.

“How is this even viable for sleeping?” Tashigi huffs and tugs the hem. “It’s so uncomfortable, the frills, ugh.”

Zoro grins. Tashigi was deeply utilitarian. Smoker took most of the blame for that—Zoro had the pleasure of hearing that argument from Hina and Smoker once. To be fair, Zoro appreciated her practicality, even if she dressed like a colorblind accountant.

“I don’t think it is for sleeping.” Zoro drawls with a wicked grin, enjoying how the blood drains out of Tashigi’s face.

“Oh gross,” Tashigi gags, “I’m wearing Perona’s sex nightgown.”

“Lingerie is the proper term for that, I do believe.” Zoro smirks.

“Ugh, don’t even start.” Tashigi huffs with a smile. “I am so tempted to stop the washing machine and wear my wet sundress to bed.”

Zoro’s smile falls. The sundress. The yellow sundress that had floated around Tashigi’s muscled thighs and the straps had been lose on her collarbones. The sundress that wasn’t for seducing Zoro, but for her dumb date.

Zoro is suddenly sour, lips pursing at the thought of some guy not appreciating the rare sight of Tashigi in a dress. She claimed that skirts twisted unnaturally around her legs when she fought.

“Shame about your date.” Zoro rumbles and he silently wonders why he wants to start this argument. But Tashigi doesn’t seem to register the bite in his voice because she shrugs.

“Eh, it was a favor for Hina anyway.” Tashigi sighs and unrolls the other sleeping bag. “She set up the date, I was just going to go as a courtesy. I get stood up half the time anyway.” Tashigi chuckles then. “It’s a waste of an evening, but hey, if you look sad enough you get great pity food from fancy restaurants.”

“Fancy restaurants?” Zoro asks, trying to untangle all Tashigi’s words.

“Yeah, all the blind dates Hina sets me up on are at fancy places.” Tashigi pouts suddenly, puffing her cheeks out as she does. “I don’t really like it. I have to wear a dress and heels and leave Shigure at home.” Tashigi runs a loving finger down Shigure’s sheath.

“That sucks.” Zoro mutters and Tashigi’s large brown eyes are turned on him. She’s wearing her glasses in her hair again, giving Zoro an unobstructed view. “You shouldn’t have to do things you don’t want to do and get stood up anyway. Those guys are cocks.”

Zoro may be a bit too pleased that Tashigi didn’t want to go on that date, because he’s running his mouth and that has got to stop.

“Yeah?” Tashigi’s voice is slightly teasing and wholly sincere. “Tell me, Zoro, why do you care so much about me dating?” Zoro takes a moment to savor that she’s returned to saying his name before the weight of her question falls on him.

Shit. He hadn’t wanted to admit anything.

“In all honesty,” Zoro sighs and rubs the back of his still damp hair, “I don’t like the idea of you seeing anyone else, even in a polite capacity.” He mumbles the last part quietly and doesn’t look Tashigi in the eye. He knows it is a very selfish admission.

“I will remind you, Zoro,” Tashigi says sternly and Zoro raises his good eye, she doesn’t look upset, but distinctly professional, “you were the one who said we were friends with benefits.”

“Yeah, I know.” Zoro sighs and scrubs a hand across his forehead. “I said it and I meant it. It’s just…I didn’t plan on doing anything with anyone else once I started sleeping with you.” Zoro tries not to blush at the embarrassing admission.

“And you applied the same principles to me?” Tashigi asks and he can see the afront blazing in her eyes.

“No. Of course not.” Zoro answers quickly, pinching the ridge of his nose. “I actually didn’t think about it at all. I thought it wouldn’t bother me until it happened.”

They sit in silence for several moments. Zoro watches Tashigi ponder his words and work through her own thoughts. Despite the heaviness of the situation, Zoro smiles at the furrow in her brow as she thinks of something particularly important.

Even if she doesn’t want to continue anything with him, Zoro still wanted to give her the blade. He’d thought of her when he took it, she deserves to have it.

Zoro reaches into his bundle of swords, nudging his own blades aside to pluck the light green sword from the bottom. Zoro is never nervous, but as he holds the blade out in front of him, he feels what might qualify as that.

Tashigi’s eyes widen as she stares at the gold, scalloped edged hilt and then turns to Zoro.

“I thought of you.” Zoro says self-consciously. “I saw it and I thought of you.”

Tashigi’s eyes soften and she smiles. Her hands are gentle as she cradles the sword in both hands, slender fingers running over the ridges of leather. Zoro is fascinated by the reverence in her touch and it makes him hungry for her calloused fingers on his skin.

“Ōame. Heavy Rain.” Tashigi giggles after examining the blade. “How do you manage to find such fitting swords for the weather?”

“Skill.” Zoro chuckles.

“You know,” Tashigi says shyly, “I didn’t really think about seeing anyone else either.” Zoro’s chest lightens at the admission. “When Hina said blind date I filed it with the others, that it would be two awkward hours of dinner and desert and nothing more. I didn’t tell you because…” She pressed her lips together.

“Don’t hold out on me now, Tashigi.” Zoro says, trying not to sound so eager.

“Well, it’s just that I try my best, even if I don’t really like something.” Tashigi says red faced. “Which you always tell me is a waste of energy, but you know, it’s who I am. I was trying to pretend that I wouldn’t rather be spending those two hours of dinner and desert with you.”

“So, a thing?” Zoro teases and Tashigi groans.

“I’m a bad liar.” Tashigi sighs, then turns to Zoro, sitting on her knees. “Listen, I will not go on a blind dates in a polite capacity, as long as you promise the same.”

“Not really a problem for me.” Zoro laughs and Tashigi’s eyes narrow. “My family respects my boundaries and personal life.

“What personal life?” Tashigi snickers and Zoro’s lap is suddenly filled with swordswoman. “You lived like a celibate monk before me.”

“And they respected it.” Zoro hums, hands skating up pale muscled thighs that settled on either side of his waist. He rubs his thumb in tight circles underneath the hem of her nightgown. He should take it off her, it was weird to she her in his sister’s clothing.

“I highly doubt that your nosy friends respected your decision to die alone.” Tashigi whispered and wound her arms around Zoro’s neck.

“Actually, we’ve all agreed to share a joint grave.” Zoro mumbles, nose brushing Tashigi’s. “So I won’t technically be alone in death.”

“Gods, you are all so weird.” Tashigi huffs good-naturedly and kisses him tenderly.

Zoro sighs and closes his eyes. He tilts his head and flicks his tongue across the seam of Tashigi’s lips. She opens her mouth eagerly.

Her fingers dig into the muscles on his back and Zoro moves his hands up to Tashigi’s waist, belatedly realizing that she’s not wearing underwear.

“Bit bold for you, Glasses.” Zoro breathes into her skin as he mouths along her jaw and drags his fingers over her pussy. “No underwear.”

“I draw the line at barrowing panties.” Tashigi gasps as Zoro’s thumb finds her sensitive clit and presses. Zoro smirks as she grinds against his fingers.

She threads her fingers in his hair and drags his mouth back to hers. Biting his bottom lip, drawing a guttural moan from deep within him. She’s getting wetter in his hand, biting and sucking his lips and tongue.

Zoro fists a hand in the back of her nightgown and pulls it over her head.

He slips two fingers into her pussy as he kisses down her neck and latches onto a tight pink nipple. Nibbling with his teeth as Tashigi’s nails scrape up his back before finding purchase on his shoulders. She rolls her hips against her fingers, grinding her clit against the palm of his hand.

Zoro pinches her other nipple between the fingers of his free hand. He curls his fingers inside her and listens to her keen as he hits the sweet spot. He scissors his fingers and presses against her clit again.

He shudders as Tashigi rubs her hands down his chest, brushing her thumbs over his nipples, before going lower. She traces his scars and swirls shapes into his hips. She’s breaking his concentration, he pinches and nips her nipples, feeling her dangerous fingers stutter in their determined path.

He releases her nipple with a wet pop and leans back, placing his hand on her hip and watching his two fingers disappear into her tight heat.

Tashigi moans. Her hands shuddering along the waistband of Zoro’s sweats. Her head drops back and her rolling hips increase in speed.

Zoro grins as he watches her chest rise and fall with increasingly ragged breathes.

Tashigi’s hands find his cock, hard in his sweats. She pulls him out, shifting the grey fabric down his hips, and moves her warm hand up and down his length. His thumb stutters against her clit as her grip tightens and pace increases.

“I’m—I’m close.” Tashigi gasps. Zoro smirks and removes his fingers. She glares at him and works his cock harder, trying to use his pleasure to make him return his fingers.

“Easy, Tashigi.” Zoro growls and takes her hands off him, settling them on his shoulders again, before reaching into the side pocket of his duffle. “I’ll get you there.” He fishes the lone condom in his duffle out and tears the foil with his teeth.

“Zoro.” Tashigi pleads, wriggling in his lap and testing Zoro’s resolve.

He rolls the condom down his length. He grips her hips and sinks her onto his cock.

Zoro’s eyes flutter close as Tashigi’s pussy clenches and trembles around him. He holds her there, savoring the feeling of being fully sheathed in her.

He places one hand on her hip and the other on her breast. Tashigi beings to move, rising and then sinking on his cock rapidly, making Zoro’s brain short circuit.

Zoro watches her breasts bounce as she rides him. Eyes shut, pink lips in a perfect O, and glasses tangling in her wet hair. Gods, she’s beautiful when she let’s herself go. Completely consumed by her passion. It’s like watching her fight.

He can feel his abdominal muscles tightening as Tashigi pushes him towards his release. Her pussy clenches rapidly and he sucks the spot under her ear that drives her wild.

Tashigi’s finger nails dig into his shoulder. Her pace becoming erratic and punishing.

“Ah.” Tashigi exclaims breathily. Zoro groans as her pussy tightens around his cock. He grips her hips, moving her up and down until he feels his own release barrel through him.

Zoro hums into her collarbones tiredly as the tension bleeds from his body. Tashigi scratches the back of his head like he’s some kind of jungle cat. He eases her off him.

Tashigi is loose and boneless as Zoro lays her down on his sleeping bag. He tugs of his sweats and the condom before joining her in the sleeping bag.

“Why do you make me do all the dirty work afterwards?” Zoro muttered into her hair as he zipper the sleeping bag up around them.

“You have more energy.” Tashigi sighs contentedly as Zoro untangles her glasses from her hair. “What does it say about the stamina of the international champion if one round of sex with a sword shop owner tuckers you out, hm?”

“We can make it two rounds, if you really want to exhaust me.” Zoro whispers, dragging a finger down the smooth skin of her side.

“One condom, one round.” Tashigi huffs as her eyelids slip closed. “Those are the rules.”

“Rules, rules.” Zoro says with a gentle smirk and pinches her nipple. “We can do round two tomorrow when we get home.” He’s too tired to watch his words, but Tashigi’s contented hum makes him press his lips into her hair.

Zoro is asleep before he can consider how sappy it is.


	4. Chapter Four: Tashigi

A displeased cough wakes Tashigi from the warm darkness of sleep.

She is disoriented and confused before the world refocused blurrily in front of her. She needs to find her glasses. The is a tall dark figure in the doorway of the room and Tashigi cannot make out his features until he speaks.

“Defiling my training room, Roronoa, really?” Mihawk’s disapproving voice cuts through the rest of Tashigi sleepiness. “Do you have no shame?”

Tashigi does what anyone would do if they were caught in bed with their idol's adopted son. She hid her face under the lip of the sleeping bag in shame.

“You own bleach.” Zoro rumbles noncommittally, shifting next to Tashigi.

“Not the point.” Mihawk sighs and Tashigi hears a fwump of fabric hitting the floor. “Your clothing is dry. You have five minutes to be presentable or I won’t be helping you get your car.”

Tashigi stays hidden until Zoro’s amused face peeks under the edge of their shared sleeping bag.

“He’s gone, ya know.”

“My embarrassment is still here.” Tashigi grumbles as heat radiates off her face.

“Ah, he’s not actually upset, just being difficult.” Zoro snickers. “C’mon, let’s get dressed.”

Tashigi does not look Mihawk in the eye when she’s dressed and ready to go. She just slips into the backseat of his car, letting Zoro take the front seat. Really she figures she won't be able to look at him ever again, or at least for a year.

With the three of them it takes no time to get Franky’s beater unstuck, but Tashigi’s hem still gets dirty. She finds she doesn’t care. Her date wasn’t happening and Zoro didn’t care if she was a mess. Tashigi smiles at the thought; she didn’t need to look nice for Zoro to have a good time.

They are on the road for an hour before Tashigi decides to bring up the elephant in the car.

“So…” she begins nervously, “what are we?”

She stifles laughter as Zoro jerks in his seat, looking just a tad panicked if possible.

“What do you mean?” Zoro coughs.

“Zoro,” Tashigi sighs, “you basically said you wanted to be, well, exclusive, if we are going to use normal terms.”

Zoro’s cheeks turn pink.

“Er, well,” Zoro scrubs the back of his head, “I’m not going stop you from dating anyone if that’s what you really want, ‘cause I’m okay with it just being sex.”

“But while we’re having sex you’d like me not to see anyone else.” Tashigi says, remembering how distraught and ashamed he’d looked last night when he admitted his jealousy. She found it deeply amusing how much he seemed to dislike human emotion. Tashigi felt it humanized him, his awkward jealousy.

“Yes.” Zoro says. “I don’t want you to be afraid to tell me when you do want to date because you think our arrangement will get in the way.”

“So,” Tashigi says, working the tangle out aloud, “while I am content to sleep with you, I will take no pity dates that Hina forces upon me, and neither will you.” Zoro nods. “However, if I find myself inclined to date, I must inform you and our arrangement ends. It goes the same for you.”

“Considering my opinions on dating, that is unlikely.” Zoro scoffs. “But I agree.”

“Stubborn caveman.” Tashigi snorts and rolls her eyes. “Don’t be so certain you will always feel the same way about things, Zoro.”

“I think I will.”

“Your little temper tantrum because of my blind date says otherwise.”

“It was not a temper tantrum.” Zoro protests, his one eye avoiding her own.

“It was.” Tashigi insists with a laugh. “Which reminds me, if I decide to date, you can’t act like a petulant child.”

“I won’t. I promise.” Zoro sighs. “Just don’t leave me in the dark.”

“I will tell you every intimate detail, Zoro.”

“Ugh, disgusting, no.” Zoro’s face twists. “Leave me in the dark about _that_.”

Tashigi laughs and refocuses on navigating the potholes.

******************************

Tashigi was in for a surprise when she returns home.

She and Zoro cross the street from the Thousand Sunny apartments. Zoro already beginning work on the round two he promised last night, lingering touches on her arms and a hickey left on her neck in Franky’s garage. To be fair, Tashigi had started it when she left him stunned and leaning against the beater after a teasing half-finished blowjob.

There is a red headed man standing in front of her shop as they approach. Tashigi tries to maintain a semblance of propriety in front of a stranger. There is no appropriate way to detangle Zoro’s hands from her skirt.

“My apologies, sir.” Tashigi says breathlessly as she smacks Zoro’s hands away with Shigure’s sheath. “The shop won’t be opening today, but if you have a request I can pull a sword for you and hold it for a week.”

“I’m not interested in swords.” The man says sourly and Tashigi cocks her head in confusion. “Hina-chan informed me that our date last night was postponed until further notice because of unavoidable circumstances.” He eyes Zoro standing behind Tashigi. “Although, perhaps Hina-chan thinks more highly of you than she aught.”

Tashigi stiffens and Zoro growls.

“With all due respect, sir,” Tashigi says with false sweetness, “my adoptive mother’s taste in men does not entirely coincide with mine and if I find someone infinitely better to occupy my time, then I am under no obligation to entertain your subpar personality because you think you’re entitled to a date.”

The man is pale and looks like he knows he put his foot in it.

“You might want to piss off.” Zoro snarls over Tashigi’s shoulder. “Before she decides to stop using her words.” Tashigi fingers Shigure’s hilt significantly.

As she watches the red headed man scurry away, Tashigi recalls what she thought when Hina told her she’d set her up on the blind date. She already considered it a disappointment because it wasn’t going to be with Zoro.

“I feel like you should thank me for making you crash the car.” Zoro drawls and throws an arm around her shoulders. “’Cause that guy is an asshole.”

“Oh yes, my hero.” Tashigi says sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “If you come upstairs I’ll show you exactly how grateful I am.” She wiggles her eyebrows at him and turns towards her door.

“You’re either going to screw my brains out or kill me.” Zoro smirks as he follows after her.

“You run that risk every time you come over.”

Zoro’s laughter warms Tashigi’s chest as she leads him upstairs to home.


End file.
